SlowMoneyFarm Marketplace – You Sell WHAT?

Most people expect a farm to sell some kind of food. Perhaps it is produce, or grain, or meat animals or grain. Here at SlowMoneyFarm we’re different in that we market what many don’t, won’t or can’t.

We have produce, herbs, eggs and meat animals, true. But we can’t rely just on those things. Some items are available just locally, but here’s some you might not expect that we sell, some seasonally and some for a longer time.

1. Compost, manure – yes it’s an asset. Rabbit manure is high in nitrogen, which is a boon for poor soils. We have some composted, and also fresh rabbit manure, which isn’t as likely to burn plants as poultry manure does. The raised wire cages means we can pick up what’s under the cages, with almost no bedding – pure fertilizer. That which comes from the solid floors has pine shavings in it, although we’ll be switching to some shredded straw as soon as I can get a trailer and get home to visit. Among our customers is a berry farm seeking a boost for their plants, organically. We also use it ourselves, and offer some by bucket, basket or pickup (ten baskets) for gardeners.

2. Manure tea. No this isn’t something you want to drink, but your houseplants will! Made with rabbit manure, our manure tea gives the nutritional boost to plants, particularly container plants, without the odor of pellets. Use it when you water a few times per month.

3. Feathers. Crafts of many kinds can use feathers and we have both white and colored. Some are chicken, but we also have duck, turkey and macaw feathers. These are collected from live birds, naturally shed in their day to day living. We pick them up if in good condition, and offer for crafts.

4. Angora felting fiber. Angora is very soft, and while grooming our angora rabbits there is sometimes shorter fibers, or small mats, that come out while grooming. While our songbirds will love these otherwise wasted fibers for their nests, we also offer it for those wanting to try small projects with angora wool. This isn’t prime spinning wool, but nice and at a lower cost than the prime wool.

5. Yard waste disposal. Free to local people. Grass, leaves, sticks to limbs and more – keeping these things out of the landfills makes sense. Much is composted here, some is run through the chipper shredder and used to give the birds scratching material. Any small bugs that take cover in it become extra protein for the chickens. This is free to those in the Walker county Alabama area as a community service. Fill dirt is also accepted.

6. Earthworms are a beginning thing for us, but we’ll have an increased offering in time! For gardens or bait, our gardens are abundant.

7. Started plants in the spring. We’ll have several varieties, and will be bringing some great deals to the Tennessee Valley Women in Ag event in Huntsville Alabama at the end of March.

8. Tree seedlings. These can be a mix of oaks, or perhaps others. The acorns that fall in fertile soil sprout, sometimes by the dozens. We’ve removed hundreds over the last few years, and it seems a waste to throw them away when trees are a valuable resource. These seedlings can be had cheap, and offer shade, firewood and memories for the next generation. When it comes up in a bad spot (there’s many in a seed starter bed right now) we’ll move it to a container until it’s picked up to plant elsewhere.

These things aren’t done on a large scale level. Each item plays a part, and serves a purpose. Each thing sold helps with new projects, and each project gets a little further towards land, and more food choices for customers.